I rejected the school bully's confession because of soccer. - Chapter 8

[Korean Soccer Prodigy Goes to Spain!]
[Kang Tan, Youngest Ever to Join Overseas Youth Team, How Far Will His Potential Go?]
[Kang Tan Syndrome Starting from Soccer King Golden Child!]

Korean broadcasters and portal sites were plastered with stories about Kang Tan.

Not only in the sports sections of major news, but even in evening entertainment shows, talks about Kang Tan were frequent.

“What’s all this fuss about La Masia?”
“Hey, don’t you know La Masia? Messi, Xavi, Iniesta all came from there.”
“Who’s Messi again?”
“Wow, you don’t even know the next soccer god? This guy’s really clueless about soccer.”

Conversations among office workers who saw the news flowing on various screens on the street were endless.

On the internet, articles about Kang Tan as well as clips from “Soccer King Golden Child” recorded millions of views.

Cable channels aired reruns almost every day.

As the article titles suggested, Kang Tan was not just a promising soccer player, but a syndrome.

People were amazed by his play and fascinated by his story.

[Messi Born in Korea]
[Birth of the Red Devil King]
[The Boy Who Will Conquer the World with Soccer]

The epithets created by the media grew daily.

“Dad, what’s a syndrome?”

Kim Hana, watching TV with her family, asked.

“Well… how should I put it? A craze?”
“What’s a craze?”
“It’s like… everyone getting excited about one thing… I’m not sure how to explain this either.”

Hana’s dad scratched his head.

“Right! Everyone getting crazy about…! No, that’s inappropriate… It’s something everyone likes!”

Hana nodded and turned her head.

“So everyone likes Tan.”
“Correct, princess.”

Kim Hana, just five years old, was feeling the emotion of yearning for the first time in her life.

“When is Tan coming back to Korea?”
“Tan is busy, so he can’t come~”

At her dad’s cheerful answer, Hana’s nose twitched, carrying a sob.

“No, no! He’ll come soon, soon!”
“How soon…? After sleeping a hundred nights?”

Hana, her eyes already welling up, sniffled and swallowed her cry.

Look at that face.

He doesn’t have the courage to tell the truth.

“Really? Our Hana says he’ll come after sleeping a hundred nights.”

Her dad told a white lie.

At that moment, the news continued on TV.

-The news of soccer genius Kang Tan, born in Korea, continues to be a hot topic. This time, it’s news that he played his first game with the La Masia youth team. His name is already on everyone’s lips in Spain, causing a sensation…

Hana looked down at her hands.

Fingers spread wide and neat.

She counts them one by one.

“A hundred nights means… one… two…”

The first day of training at La Masia.

The coach took me to the center of the training ground.

Around me, kids already taller and older than me were standing densely.

Honestly, it was a bit awkward.

After all, I’m nearly 4 years old by international standards, 5 in Korean age, standing among kids who are 7-8 years old.

The eyes directed at me were far from welcoming.

“Everyone, please welcome him. Despite his young age, he has proven his skills and joined us as a very exceptional player. Now that we’re a team, let’s grow together.”

Reactions like reluctant applause.

Among the applause, I could hear some kids whispering.

“Isn’t he still kindergarten age?”
“Why is such a little kid joining our team?”

Did they think I couldn’t understand?

Or maybe they didn’t care if I understood.

Well, it was more or less the reaction I expected.

After all, they probably entered La Masia thinking they were ‘special’ too.

So they wouldn’t be happy seeing some young kid joining in.

Thus, the hazing started from the first day of training.

The antics that occurred cleverly avoiding the coach’s eyes weren’t the work of amateurs.

A guy named Diota was the ringleader.

When he pretended to hand me a water bottle but spilled it on my shoes, I wanted to smack him for being so cute.

“With that level of accuracy, you need more practice. If you’re going to hit, hit properly.”
“What’s this kid saying? If you came to Spain, you should speak Spanish. Ching cheng chong-ing.”

Korean words are met with Spanish replies.

“This kid probably doesn’t understand anything we’re saying except ching cheng chong, right?”
“Maybe he doesn’t even know what ching cheng chong means because he’s just a kid?”

Diota snickered with his friends.

In front of them, I opened my mouth with a relaxed smile.

“bueno. Soy Chingchaengchong ¿Cómo te llamas? (Okay. I’m Ching Cheng Chong. What’s your name?)”

Diota stopped speaking for a moment.

Then he answered with a slightly trembling voice.

“Eh… me llamo D-Diota. (Uh… I’m D-Diota.)”

I already knew.

I had heard it called several times around.

The reason I asked anyway was simple.

“Ah, como ¿Idiota? (Ah, like Idiot?)”

I deliberately twisted my tongue, pretending to be bad at Spanish.

Laughter erupted around us.

Diota’s face turned red.

“¡No! ¡Diota! (No! Diota!)”

He shouted angrily, but I nodded calmly.

“Ah, Es difícil. Lo siento, idiota (Ah, the pronunciation is difficult. Sorry, idiot.)”
“¡Soy Diota! (I’m Diota!)”
“te entiendo idiota (I understand, idiot.)”

The surrounding children burst into laughter louder than before.

Diota, panting, grabbed my collar.

That angry face was quite cute in its own way.

In that state, I shrugged and said.

“¿Sucedió porque no hablo español, por qué haces esto? (This happened because I’m not good at Spanish, why are you doing this?)”

I made an expression of genuine incomprehension.

Seeing my attitude, Diota seemed to swallow his words as he was about to say something.

He let go of my collar but still couldn’t hide his uncomfortable expression.

The surrounding children were still looking at me with faces full of laughter.

“Using your age as a weapon will only work until this week. After the weekend game, it’s obvious that someone like you will realize your limits and run away crying.”

Diota bumped my shoulder as he passed by.

How many steps had he taken?

Diota stopped walking and turned his head.

“Ah, I wonder if you’ll even be able to play in the game.”

Diota showed a sardonic smile as if he knew something, and moved his feet again.

‘You’re quite vicious for dealing with a five-year-old.’

More importantly, the weekend game?

That’s something I’ve been waiting for too.

Life at La Masia was busy.

School classes in the morning, soccer training in the afternoon.

But training was only 1 hour and 30 minutes a day.
I was going crazy with my legs itching.
So I filled the remaining time with my own practice.

More than that, there was one thing I felt while receiving full-fledged training.

I had never felt physical limitations or felt like my legs were being overworked.

Until now, I just thought youth was a beast.

And so the weekdays passed.

I was excited for the weekend that came faster than expected.

‘Finally, my first game here.’

This game was an unofficial friendly match.

My name was on the starting lineup when the opponent team was decided.

The reaction was hot when the starting lineup was announced.

The biggest reaction was, of course, from Diota Lopez.

That guy seemed to be the epitome of hazing.

As soon as my name appeared on the starting lineup, his face turned red and he complained to the coach.

“This doesn’t make sense! Kang isn’t old enough to play! In Spain, you can only play in official games from 6 years old!”

To those words, the coach nodded and calmly replied.

“That’s right, Diota. But this is an unofficial game. There’s no problem with the regulations. And my criteria for selecting starters is skill, not age.”

At that moment, Diota glared at me.

That look, so familiar.

It’s a bit like Hwang Min-chul.

‘What are you looking at, Idiota.’

Those words rose to my throat.

But there was no need for that.

I just needed to prepare for the game.

“Kang being in the starting lineup means there’s a good reason for it. You’re a starter too, so why are you so dissatisfied? Is it because he’s a forward like you?”

Only then did I understand what Diota had said.

The regulations and his position.

He was sure there was no place for me.

Idiota.

Before the game started, I looked around as I entered the field.

Everything was awkward yet interesting.

The brief greetings between players were over.

Every time their eyes crossed, the children exuded tension bordering on solemnity.

There were kids on the opposing team who looked at me strangely too.

I must have stood out because I was short and looked young.

‘Don’t let your guard down, I want to have fun.’

The whistle blew and the game started.

In the 7 vs 7 game, my position was one of two forwards.

At first, the ball didn’t come to me much.

The ball went back and forth between the opponent’s and our team’s defense line, leaving little room for me to get involved.

Then my chance came.

A pass sent precisely to my feet.

Diota was running beside me.

“Kang! Pass!”

I smirked inwardly.

Soccer is a team sport?

I know that too.

But I’ve come to know something else better.

That my individual skills are quite useful.

And this game is not an official match.

In other words, it’s a training ground for fun.

“Pass it here, it’s open!”

Diota’s voice rises.

At the same time, the opposing defenders rushed in recklessly, but I smoothly evaded them.

“Kang! Don’t you know what a pass is? To think I’m on a team with someone who doesn’t even know the basics of soccer! I said pass!”

The more Diota strained his neck veins, the more I wanted to laugh.
Then suddenly.

What if I’m underestimated for looking selfish…

That’s when it happened.

“Diota! Don’t tell Kang to pass!”

The coach’s angry voice was heard.